Bears Fan Base More Loyal Than Packers: Study

It may be a rarity to see this on the field, but when it comes to fans the Bears are indeed better than the Packers.

That’s according to a recent Emory University study looking at the fan bases of all 32 NFL teams.

Dr. Michael Lewis of the Atlanta university’s Goizueta School of Business used a formula combining each team’s sales and social media following to find the “Dynamic Fan Equity,” a number based on the team’s fans willingness to spend, miles traveled to see the team play and following on social media.

KNOW CHICAGO: Headlines by email from Patch editor Tim Moran

The list had a few surprises, but the top five (New England Patriots, Dallas cowboys, Denver Broncos, San Francisco 49ers and Philadelphia Eagles) all benefit from having fans throughout the country.

The Chicago Bears nearly cracked the top five, finishing at No. 7 (the New York Giants were just ahead of them).

The Green Bay Packers were listed No. 11 in the study, behind the likes of the New Orleans Saints, Baltimore Ravens and Carolina Panthers.

No one said the list was perfect. Even Chicagoans would have to admit that an indication the Panthers have better fans than the Packers is ridiculous. Factors related to market size and short-term performance were controlled in the study, so that could be a reason for that glitch.

See the full study here